A cloud-covered Innsbruck welcomed the first Lead finals of the 2021 season this evening, where teammates watched the action, suspense, and surprises from the edge of their seats in the Kletterzentrum.

In his hometown of Innsbruck, Austrian Olympian Jakob Schubert climbed atop the men’s podium with a score of 47+, earning the 22^nd gold medal of his World Cup career. After taking gold in Lead and Combined during the IFSC Climbing World Championships Innsbruck 2018, this marks the third gold medal that Schubert has won on his doorstep. Hot on Schubert’s heels was Italian Stefano Ghisolfi, who placed second with 47 points and took his World Cup medal tally to a total of 13.  With a score of 38+ Switzerland’s Sascha Lehmann completed the men’s podium in third place.

In a shock-turn of events, Czech climbing star Adam Ondra, who will compete at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 this summer, fell at hold 17. Currently recovering from a shoulder injury, Ondra had an unfortunate series of slips during the first section of the wall, resulting in an unexpected last-place finish. Japan’s Masahiro Higuchi, Spain’s Alberto Ginés López, Alexander Megos of Germany, and Luka Potocar of Slovenia concluded the men’s final in fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh place, respectively.

No surprises in the women’s event, Slovenian sensation Janja Garnbret claimed her 28^th World Cup gold medal – a collection which also boasts six World Championship medals. In a stunning performance, Garnbret achieved the only top of tonight’s final, after pausing to leave onlookers in suspense before leaping for the final hold. Fellow Olympians Brooke Raboutou, of the USA, and Akiyo Noguchi, of Japan, joined Garnbret on the women’s Lead podium, with respective scores of 40 and 33+. After achieving two consecutive bronze medals at the Boulder world cups in Salt Lake City, USA, last month, Raboutou’s second place in Innsbruck earned the American her third World Cup medal, and her first silver medal.

Also Olympians, Viktoriia Meshkova of Russia, Miho Nonaka of Japan, and Italy’s Laura Rogora, finished in fourth, fifth, and seventh place. Garnbret’s compatriots Vita Lukan and Lucka Rakovec closed in sixth and eighth place following a tough final.

Full results from the men’s final can be found here, and the women’s results can be seen here.

The podium of the women’s event is as follows:

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO)
2. Brooke Raboutou (USA)
3. Akiyo Noguchi (JPN)

The men’s podium is as follows:

1. Jakob Schubert (AUT)
2. Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA)
3. Sascha Lehmann (SUI)

risultati degli azzurri nella lead:

A heavy thunderstorm may have disrupted this evening’s Boulder finals in Innsbruck, Austria, but it certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of the athletes and their supporting teammates. Slovenian Janja Garnbret claimed her second World Cup win of the week in the women’s event and in the men’s, team Japan occupied all three podium positions.

Following bloc three, the women’s final was called off due to heavy rain and thus, results were calculated based on three boulders as opposed to four. Janja Garnbret of Slovenia flashed all three blocs, flying into first position and earning her second gold medal of the World Cup in Innsbruck, having also achieved first place in last night’s Lead final. Close behind Garnbret was the USA’s Natalia Grossman, who also secured a top on all three boulder problems and earned her fourth Boulder World Cup medal of the 2021 season, out of four Boulder world cups so far this season! Completing the women’s podium was Serbia’s Stasa Gejo, who took home medals in Boulder and Combined at the IFSC European Championships Moscow 2020.

In fourth place was Japan’s Futaba Ito, with her compatriot Akiyo Noguchi following in fifth for the final World Cup of her stunning Sport Climbing career. Aged 32, Noguchi has competed in an incredible 169 world cups and World Championships, standing atop the podium a sensational 75 times since her first international competition in 2005. The Olympian’s closing competition will be the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 this summer – a fitting send-off following an extraordinary career.

Due to injury Miho Nonaka, also of Japan, was unable to compete in this evening’s Boulder final.

In the men’s event, which took place slightly later than scheduled due to the storm, Japan’s Yoshiyuki Ogata, Tomoa Narasaki, and Kokoro Fujii climbed their way onto the podium. Topping two out of three boulders, Ogata secured first place and earned his second gold World Cup medal. His teammates Narasaki and Fujii placed second and third, respectively, having each topped one boulder. Austria’s Nicolai Uznik achieved fourth place on home soil, besting Belgium’s Simon Lorenzi in fifth and the USA’s Nathaniel Coleman, who placed sixth in the men’s event.

Full results from the women’s Boulder World Cup can be seen here, and the men’s here.

The women’s podium is as follows:

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO)
2. Natalia Grossman (USA)
3. Stasa Gejo (SRB)

The men’s podium is as follows:

1. Yoshiyuki Ogata (JPN)
2. Tomoa Narasaki (JPN)
3. Kokoro Fujii (JPN)

risultati degli azzurri nel boulder.